


The Butterfly Effect

by mpa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Friendship, MC Ron Weasley, in which Ron mourns the loss of Scabbers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:07:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27020050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mpa/pseuds/mpa
Summary: The day Ron Weasley adopted his pet rat Scabbers was the day historic events were set in motion. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Let us start from the beginning.Alternatively: a brief exploration of the relationship between Ron Weasley and his pet rat.
Relationships: Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Peter Pettigrew & Ron Weasley, Ron Weasley & Harry Potter, Ron Weasley & Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley & Scabbers, Ron Weasley & Weasley Family
Kudos: 16





	The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect is a theoretical phenomenon that idealizes the impact of small actions upon a bigger system. In the mid 19th century, a young wizard, of undisclosed name, set out to prove the validity of such hypothesis. With a stolen Time-Turner, he tried to relive the grand days of wizardry, before the 18th century goblin rebellion that had ended with the wrongful freedom of those beings, the goblins, from the hands of humans. Fortunately, he was caught by the Unspeakables from the Department of Mysteries, and imprisoned under claims of treason and, less importantly, racial prejudice. Thus, the theory of the Butterfly Effect remained just that- theoretical.

There are other ways of proving the existence of the Butterfly Effect, however. For example, let us examine a much simpler scenario.

The day Ron Weasley adopted his pet rat Scabbers was the day historic events were set in motion. See, unbeknownst to all members of the Weasley family, from the very beginning, Scabbers was an _extraordinary_ ordinary rat. He couldn't change colors at will, and he couldn't hover a few inches above the ground like most magical rats, but he had a remarkable lifespan. Ron didn't actually noticed until it was pointed out by a notorious serial killer, Sirius Black. By then, however, Ron's sense of reality had already altered drastically.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Scabbers was, as most of Ron's things were, a hand-me-down. His acquisition of the rat was rushed- Percy was made school prefect and, according to the boy himself, deserved to be rewarded- and what better gift than that of a new pet? Scabbers was discarded and Percy gained a great owl, much more useful in Percy's ambitions of ascension to power.

Outwardly, Ron had twisted his nose. What was he to do with an ugly old rat? When he was given it he had laughed out loud and made fun of the rat's mangy fur. Internally, Ron was overjoyed. Never had he had something that was truly and fully his. Ron embraced the little being with everything he had- with everything he was. He cradled and cherished Scabbers. He fretted over the missing toe, and the rat's overall health and disposition. How many nights had Ron lied awake, whispering promises of care and protection?

Yes, Scabbers had indeed lucked out. Under Ron's care, he had never been fatter.

As the years went on, Ron grew closer and closer to the rat, even more so when he was at Hogwarts. In his first year, in 1991, Scabbers' place in Ron's life was finally rivaled by the famous Harry Potter. Harry was Ron's first school friend, with whom he'd be experiencing riveting and dangerous adventures all throughout his school days (though that's a story for another time). It was just Ron's luck that Scabbers seemed to enjoy Harry's company just as much as Ron himself did, enough so that the rat went as far as to defend the two from the snobbish Draco Malfoy and his gorilla gang, by biting Gregory Goyle on the knuckle.

In 1992, when fear reigned over the school and a deadly beast meandered the corridors looking for a life to take, Scabbers was a great comfort to Ron. It was a hard year for all. Harry Potter was wrongly accused of being the perpetrator of the incidents occurring, and fell victim to a social mass exclusion. Hermione Granger, Ron's other close friend, was one of the targeted and ended up petrified. Ron was a source of emotional support for both. He wasn't the Chosen One, and he wasn't The Brightest Witch of Their Age; he was Ron Weasley, the glue that held them all together. He was the heart and soul, and without him, the Chosen One and The Brightest Witch would simply not be.

When Ron Weasley almost lost his little sister, Hermione Granger had long been asleep, and Harry Potter was crumbling under the weight of public scrutiny, and Ron couldn't- and wouldn't, reach out to them.

But he had Scabbers. Through it all, he had Scabbers.

Ron loved Scabbers so much that, when 1993 came around and his family won enough money to travel internationally, he decided to bring the rat along on the trip. They visited Egyptian tombs and learned about the ancient curses residing within the pyramids. When they arrived back to England, they were met with somber news- the undoable had been done; the inescapable had been escaped. There was a murderer on the loose, imprisoned for the deaths of a dozen Muggles and of Peter Pettigrew.

That year, they went on their annual trip to Diagon Alley feeling very wary. The fear was affecting them all, and worst of all was Scabbers, who had become thin and mangy yet again. Ron spent the last of his savings on a tonic for Scabbers, to no avail. When Hermione Granger adopted a pet of her own, a ginger feline monstrosity named Crookshanks, Ron defended his sickly rat to death, to the point of almost ending what was meant to be a lifelong friendship.

When Scabbers was thought to be dead, Ron mourned.

See, there was a fundamental difference between Scabber's current and previous owner. Percy favoured practicality over sentimentality, and thus had been only so glad to replace his old rat with an owl. But Ron?

Ron was driven by heart.

Most found this hard to believe, what with his blunt manner and unceremonious words. The Weasley family was composed of 7 children, and Ron, being the youngest boy, had little time to dwell and express feelings. Instead, his heart appeared through his actions- his lunch shared with a skinny, lost, boy on a train ride, or a fight picked with a bully professor over a know-it-all.

Yes. Ron Weasley was indeed full of heart. It was a shame it was shared undeservingly.

Scabbers wasn't dead and Ron should have been overjoyed, but he had no time to be. Because as he held his pet, the ominous Grim, which had been haunting them all year long, broke Ron's ankle, and dragged him towards the Whomping Willow, then under, under, under.

The Grim was feared by wizarding communities for being an omen of death. The Grim was Sirius Black, and he was backed up by a werewolf.

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" Ron bellowed.

But Sirius Black paid no attention. Instead, he pointed a shaky finger towards Ron's rat.

"Pettigrew's alive!" Sirius Black exclaimed, dazed eyes coming alive with anger. "He's right there!"

Ron would have laughed had he not been so terrified.

"You're mad!" he spit out instead, clutching Scabbers to his chest and cowering away from Black's maddening figure.

Sirius Black was many things, but he wasn't mad. Ron watched wide-eyed as the convicted murderer and the werewolf professor pointed their wands at the rat. A flash of blue-white light erupted from both tips.

Scabbers started to transform. The rat fell to the ground, writhing. Its limbs grew in width and length, with its spine elongating simultaneously. It was a gruesome sight, that of bones struggling within the constriction of the animal body. The red eyes of the rat narrowed, then widened a mossy blue, stained by selfish fear. Paws were molded into hands, one of which was missing a finger. Bags of fur were swallowed and buried in human limbs. By the end of it all, Pettigrew lay whimpering in front of Ron, sounding more animal than human. Everytime Ron thought of it, his stomach lurched with disgust.

And this, dear readers, is where the Butterfly Effect comes into play. If Ron hadn't been given Scabbers, the rat, or rather, transformed human, would've never been taken care of so well, and would've perished in the face of a harsh world. If Ron hadn't been given Scabbers, Peter Pettigrew would've never come into contact with Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. If Ron hadn't been given Scabbers, maybe he wouldn't have made it through the Chamber of Secrets. If Ron hadn't been given Scabbers, Sirius Black would've never broken out of Azkaban. If Ron hadn't been given Scabbers, he would've never felt the colossal pain of betrayal. He wouldn't have experienced the loss of a supposed friend at such an early age. If Ron hadn't been given Scabbers, Voldemort would've never risen again.

Because that day, beneath the Whomping Willow, Harry Potter was reunited with his godfather, Ron Weasley was betrayed by a friend, and Voldemort rejoined by his most loyal supporter.

But that is a story for another time.

As of now, for Ron Weasley, Scabbers was no more.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!! Thanks for reading! Reviews and critiques are always appreciated!


End file.
